338 LM Project

Ok guys I need some help. I am kicking around the idea of a elk rifle and need some ideas on the particulars. All I know is I want the action to be a Lawton M7500. Barrel and length are all up in the air. So is the rest.

Well it depends on what type of elk hunting your going to do? Are you going to haul it to your spot by foot or by wheels? This would change my opinon on bbl size and weight. If there is no price limit i would look into a ABS carbon bbl, you can have the stability of a large dia bbl with the weight of a std varmint contour. Go with a 1.250 dia with a tapper to 1" at the muzzel, 28" or longer. Add a three or four chamber muzzel brake to finish it off. The barrel will be around 5# in this size. I use 1.400 breech tappered to 1.100" at the muzzel on most of my 338 snipe-tac rifles, these barrels are around 5.5# 32" long, i also add a Titanium muzzel brake to keep the weight down.http://home.alltel.net/mdegerness/

If your not worried about the weight of the rifle then any heavy bbl with flutes would be fine, im partial to the carbon bbls my self, still would be nice to have a rifle weigh in at 12# and have the stiffness of a 1.250 dia bbl. It also is a benifit of not having the stress on the action that a long heavy bbl creates. YOu never know when you want to hike off with the gun, kinda makes it two in one type of rifle, great bench or bi-pod rifle that can be carried if need be. Just my opinon.